Valentine Date

Dear Shawn,

My first Valentine, year after year, was my mother. One of my first memories is of a small bean bag bug, a lady bug, but instead of spots, little hearts- given to me by Mom. Every year, as a little boy, I always got little gifts and cards from her. That little tradition has sort of died away, but she still calls me to wish me a happy Valentine’s Day.

This year, I had a new Valentine, my grandmother. She was so excited about my new furniture, she couldn’t wait to see it all in my house. I had scheduled delivery for my new table to be the fourteenth, without realizing I had chosen Valentine’s Day. When I called to let her know that I’d found a table, I told her I’d have her over for dinner, to be my very first dinner guest on my new table. I guess it’s a good thing neither of us had big dates.

She sort of tried to get out of it, saying I didn’t need to cook, she could just come see the furniture and I could take her back home, no need to go to all that trouble. It was like she didn’t want to eat my cooking. She is scared of cats, but mine never bother her when she’s over. I finally hooked her by telling her that I’d already bought the food. That was no lie. I had everything I needed for dinner in the freezer and cupboard.

She gushed over how much she liked the furniture. She sat on the couch and admired my new coffee table, which is shaped like an airplane wing. She commented on how much she liked my new lamp. She was quite impressed with my table. The only shame was that I’ve yet to decorate the walls and I still need window treatments. Baby steps.

When the meal was done and we sat at the table, she couldn’t stop glowing over how good the meal was. She wanted me to show her where to find what I had prepared in the store, as she wanted to duplicate the culinary experience, and I assured her it was easy to do.

The main entree was chicken Cordon Bleu, found in the freezer section. Open, place on a cookie sheet, and cook for forty minutes. The starch was instant mashed potatoes. Open the pouch, add two cups of boiling water and mix. It's amazing how far along instant potatoes has come over the years. I added two tablespoons of sour cream and half a cup of cheddar cheese shreds. The veggie was steamed broccoli, which was so flavorful, neither of us needed salt or pepper. That was it. As Chef William Tell used to say, “Very simpah- very ee-see!” To listen to my grandmother, you’d think I flew her to Paris for dinner!

It’s always a joy to have my grandmother over for dinner, and I’d like to do it more often. This is, after all, one of the main reasons I moved back to Houston. I want to spend as much time as I can with her while I can. Making her day with nice furniture and a good meal makes me so happy!